“What matters most is the people and how well they work together”

 

Jari Keinänen has worked at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health for 25 years and leads the Wellbeing and Health Protection Unit. What motivates him are the variety of the work, new challenges and above all the people around him, whose collective strength he believes is second to none.

At the core of my role is creating the right conditions. I want to make sure that the specialists in my unit have everything they need to do their work effectively. This also affects wellbeing at work and people’s motivation, and maintaining and developing these aspects is a central part of my job.

My career at the ministry began with an environmental health project that I led in 1998–1999 in the southern part of the Province of Oulu. The project was partly funded by the ministry and involved 17 municipalities. Through that job, I got to know people from the ministry and thought how great it would be to work with them. It seemed like a place where you could genuinely make a difference.

Towards the end of the project, I received a call from the ministry asking whether I would be interested in continuing the work there. I did not see it coming, but I agreed almost straight away, after talking it through with my wife. The rest, as they say, is history.

I have now been at the ministry for 25 years. I started in 2000 as a Senior Officer, working on legislation related to the quality and control of drinking and bathing waters and on the organisation of environmental health services. Over the years, my responsibilities grew to cover all health protection legislation, as well as deputy supervisor roles. I was appointed as a Ministerial Adviser in 2006.

In 2009, I became Head of the then Environmental Health Unit when my supervisor retired. I have now been in a leadership role for 15 years. The size of the unit and its responsibilities have changed over time, particularly due to organisational reforms.

Changes in tasks and increasing responsibility have suited me well. Each new challenge has boosted my motivation, and boredom has never had a chance to set in. I still enjoy coming to work in the morning.

I have only applied for another job once, and even that was a half‑hearted attempt. Fortunately, I was not selected. My long career here is certainly due to the fact that the work has remained interesting and varied. Tasks change, governments change and there is always a new challenge ahead.

Right now, the best thing about my job is the great people around me. I spend a lot of time around the organisation, negotiating over resources, standing up for my unit and creating the conditions for good work. I enjoy it, and it doesn’t always feel like work at all. What matters most is the people and how well they work together. That exceptional group of colleagues has been the real glue. It has been a source of strength that nothing can beat.

Jari Keinänen
Director